Neither party has an advantage, poll finds

Almost 59 per cent of people surveyed by Dusit Poll believed that Bangkok voters would pick a party candidate and not an independent as their new governor, according to survey results released yesterday.

Almost 38 per cent said they would vote for an independent candidate because the candidate could work effectively without political interference.

The survey was conducted from December 28 to January 4. Asked what the deciding factor in voting would be, 41 per cent said the candidates themselves, 30 per cent said candidates and parties, 27 per cent said parties, 22 per cent said both policies and achievements.

Asked between the Democrat candidate and Pheu Thai candidate, who had more advantages, 47 per cent said neither party had an advantage over the other because voters would pick policies and a competent candidate. Some 28 per cent said the Democrat candidate had an advantage because Bangkok favoured the Democrats and would vote only for its candidate, 24 per cent said the Pheu Thai candidate had an advantage because the candidate would receive support from the national government.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Jirayu Huangsap said Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan had never publicly rejected contesting the gubernatorial election. Many Bangkok supporters have called on Sudarat to join the election and Pheu Thai had not shut the door on fielding Sudarat as the party candidate. If the party persuaded Sudarat, he believed she would agree to contest the election.

Democrat deputy spokesman Nat Bantadtan, a Bangkok MP, said the Department of Special Investigation's decision to summon Bangkok Metropolitan Administration executives to hear charges that they run a mass transit operation without permission was politically motivated. He said the DSI announced the decision after the Democrat Party decided to field MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra as its candidate in the election for the Bangkok governor in a bid to discredit Sukhumbhand.